Reader By The Water

12/01/2026

Book Mail!

Thanks to the tagged publishers for these exciting upcoming releases!

SAOIRSE .Audio (Pub Date Feb 24 2026)

For readers of Colm Tóibín and Claire Keegan, Saoirse is a powerful novel set between the United States and Ireland about a woman who runs from her traumatic past and the secrets she carries to survive. Saoirse is an evocative, suspenseful exploration of the intimate relationship between art and life and the lies we tell ourselves in the name of reinvention.

THE ENCORE (Pub Date Mar 03 2026)

A captivating journey of love, sacrifice, and destiny playing out in the world of music. In 2003, at the prestigious Brookfield Conservatory in Boston, a chance encounter sparks an inimitable friendship between driven pianist and singer Anna Buckley and composer wunderkind Will Pendleton. As they strive toward careers as professional musicians, their bond deepens both from shared skill and the inexplicable sense that they’re kindred souls. But soon after graduation, one night forever alters the trajectory of their lives, destroying their relationship in the process.

MAD MABEL (Pub Date Apr 21 2026)

Elsie is eighty-one years old. She’s lived on her idyllic street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years—longer than anyone else. Aside from being a curmudgeon who minds everyone else’s business, few would suspect that Elsie has a past that she has worked exceedingly hard at concealing. Because when it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies.

THE WOMEN IN WHITE (Pub Date Aug 04 2026)

In 1964, four remarkable young women at a prestigious university became the subjects of parapsychology experiments by a visionary scientist. On the cusp of a historic breakthrough, the women mysteriously vanished and the program was erased from history. Decades later, Riley Bell, newly divorced and desperate for a fresh start, accepts a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty. As the story unfolds across two timelines old secrets rise to the surface.

QOTD: Any of these on your reading radar?

12/01/2026

I'm prepared. Are you?

This isn't just about being prepared, folks, this is about survival. This is book preparedness.

10/01/2026

Looking for an intelligent police procedural with a fast pace and a team made up of brilliant misfits? Get your hands on this next week!

INSIDE MAN by

Thanks, , for the review copy via , and .audio, for the audiobook review copy. Available 13 Jan 26!

Where are my fellow fans of the brilliant but awkward geniuses? I loved shows like Bones, House, Elementary, and Big Bang Theory. (I would include Criminal Minds, but I couldn’t watch it. I got freaked out just watching the ads for it.) To this list, I now add the FBI’s Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit (though other agents call them The Head Cases behind their backs).

In the second book in the series, we follow FBI Agent Gardner Camden and his fellow brilliant but quirky agents from the Island of Misfit Toys (technically PAR …) as they hunt down a serial killer AND ghost guns.

The story had great pacing, characters to root for, an excellent mystery, and stellar sleuthing, with Gardner as a sympathetic and compelling lead. I especially enjoyed PAR’s teamwork and camaraderie and am excited for more books in the series. The audiobook was an engaging listen, and I loved how narrator fleshed out Gardner’s personality and highlighted each of the other characters’ unique voices.

QOTD: Other favorite quirky characters? Or a new series you’re excited about? This book comes out next week! Are you going to pick up a copy?

09/01/2026

When I posted my 2025 wrap up of cover confusion (check my pinned posts to see), commented “The tree as silhouette motif is used soooo much.” To which I said, “Hold my beer.”

Here are 12 that I found with some eerie similarities. Aren’t they gorgeous?

QOTD: We’re NINE days into the new year. How’s it going?

08/01/2026

I read 181 books in 2025 (and abandoned - or DNFd - another 30 that weren’t working for me). Out of those, there were my nine favorites. If I were still in the military and writing a performance report, these books would be in the top 0.05%.

My top book of the year is THE CORRESPONDENT. I’ve loved watching the groundswell of love for this debut, from its relatively quiet publication to it reaching the NYT #1 spot NINE MONTHS after publication. I picture readers finishing their copies, hugging them, and pressing them into the hands of their friends. This isn’t a book with interest generated by PR campaigns. This book, beloved by readers, has an unmatched universal appeal.

So close behind that were two books that made me a hazard on the roads (driving while listening to the audiobook): WILD DARK SHORE and MY FRIENDS. Both gave me different but equally visceral reactions. SHORE was so tragic and atmospheric, my heart was in my throat the whole time. And the ending! 😭FRIENDS had me sobbing and guffawing, often at the same time. It was a nostalgic and emotional roller coaster. “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.”

Winning the “most unique” awards are FAMILY OF SPIES (fast-paced and emotional non-fiction that reads like the wildest thriller), UPON A STARLIT TIDE (a wholly original fable with epic storytelling), and LIFE, DEATH, AND GIANTS (combine Friday Night Lights, Amish culture, and professional wrestling, then make it break your heart).

Making me break down and sob, having to set down the book to gather myself: THE OTHER SIDE OF NOW (this one needs more attention, especially with the stunning audiobook narration by the debut author) and HEART THE LOVER (I have no words to describe it, but it spoke directly to my heart).

Happiest surprise of the year: GRACE & HENRY’S HOLIDAY MOVIE MARATHON. Heart, snark, great dialog, poignant humor, and a story you can re-read every year like your favorite classic movie. Yes, a holiday rom-com about grieving made my “best of” list.

Did you read any of these? Several of these have potential (you either love it or ask, “Why does this book taste like soap?”), so I’m curious what you thought.

07/01/2026

4th Qtr Favorites

➡️Swipe to see the previous three quarters, and stick around! I plan to post my six favorite books of the year tomorrow. Why six? Because I like how the grid looks!

GRACE & HENRY’S HOLIDAY MOVIE MARATHON

Yup. A holiday romance! Endearing, honest, with kids and a dog (and mice). The dialogue is sharp and witty, yet it also reveals depths of vulnerability and honesty that make you want to befriend the characters. This warmed my heart so much that I read it twice and plan to re-read again next year.

THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE

This is why I don’t compile my “best of” lists until after the clock strikes 12. I finished this on New Year’s Eve and it wedged itself onto my list. Every character was a favorite. Joyce, with her clueless brilliance; Elizabeth, with her razor-sharp (and sometimes cutthroat) assessments; Ibrahim, with his thoughtful insights; and Ron, with his ballsy willingness to tumble-roll into any situation, are all great, but my heart belongs to Bogdan.

HERE IF YOU NEED ME

I cried so hard I couldn’t keep reading. I nodded until my neck ached. I reached out to friends to ask them to read it, too. I’ve scheduled it for my book club to read during Memoir May. The memoir is honest, candid, insightful, warm, and gently funny.

FAMILY OF SPIES .collective

When I first heard of the book, I assumed it was historical fiction, but it’s a memoir! What a thrilling, heartbreaking, compelling story Christine shares after decades of painstaking research. I couldn’t stop reading as the author brought history to life!

THE EVERLASTING

An epic ballad of a story full of romance, sacrifice, loyalty, fealty, and heroism. It has the time fluidity of THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY, the fated lovers of THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR, and the aching, sweet despair of doomed love of the movie, THE HIGHLANDER (1986). Which is to say, I adored it.

THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY

This re-read found its way to my list again, thanks to discussions with my two community book clubs. It’s historical fiction at its best.

QOTD: Do we have any overlaps? Any you’d like more info about?

06/01/2026

Happy Publication Day!

HUMOR ME: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy


From a comedian and host of a hit TED podcast, a hilarious and enlightening guide to laughing your way into a fuller life. For anyone who has tried out meditation, a new year’s resolution or gratitude practice as a self-improvement strategy, HUMOR ME offers a fresh and exciting path to greater presence, creativity, connection and joy.

THE ODDS OF YOU .audio

An accidental encounter with an irritating passenger on the flight to Comic Con leaves data analyst-turned author Sage in an untested position. That passenger is Theo Sharpe: a breakout actor on the cusp of fame. And, unfortunately, the paparazzi have mistaken her for his girlfriend.

Are you going to find copies of these? I’m halfway through HUMOR ME and am loving it.

05/01/2026

Let’s get it started! STEP 1 of my 2025 wrap up: December Reads.

Would you like a Three-Word Review of what I read in December?

🥰Favorites!

Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon (re-read) - Heartfelt humor w/pathos
🎧The Man Who Died Twice - Solving murders w/friends
Here If You Need Me - Widow becomes chaplain
🎧Detour - Approachable & fun sci-fi
🎧The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne - Grisley. Graphic. Gorgeous.

😊 Excellent!

🎧The Heir Apparent - Fictional Royal Drama
So Old, So Young - Multi-year friendship
👯‍♀️Lonesome Dove - Classic. Many die.
🎧My Husband’s Wife - Twisty Twists Twisting
🎧If It Makes You Happy - 90s Nostalgic Romance
🎧The Key to Kells - Chasing treasure + genetics

👯‍♀️ Buddy Reads or Book Club

QOTD: Favorite thing you did in December? Let me know if you want more info on any of these. Do we have any overlaps?

Thanks to these authors and publishers for the review copies and gifted books. .audio

04/01/2026

THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE by Richard Osman

Thanks, , for the gifted audiobook.

I read the first book in the Thursday Murder Club series in 2024, and was underwhelmed. It was good, with a clever mystery, interesting characters, and good banter, but I wasn’t invested. I had trouble keeping track of who was who, and didn’t care for the audiobook narrator.

My friends all told me to try again. (Funny, this also happened with Louise Penny’s Three Pines series.) I finally read book two and was completely enamored! Every character was a favorite. Joyce, with her clueless brilliance; Elizabeth, with her razor-sharp (and sometimes cutthroat) assessments; Ibrahim, with his thoughtful insights; and Ron, with his ballsy willingness to tumble-roll into any situation, are all great, but my heart belongs to Bogdan.

Play chess with my dementia-afflicted husband? I’d love to.
Buy me some co***ne to frame someone? How much do you need?
Drive me to an international money launderer’s lair? What time do you want to leave?

His answer is always a sexy shrug and “of course.”

The mystery in this installment kept me guessing (and changing my guesses!), and I loved every minute. And this time, I LOVED the narrator (same one as book one), and felt she perfectly captured the nuances of each personality

It’s all I can do to keep from starting book three right now. I miss these characters already.

QOTD: I’m excited for a new “comfort series!” What is a comfort series for you?

03/01/2026

DETOUR by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart ( )

Thanks, , for the review copy via , and for the gifted audiobook.

Three astronauts, one police officer, a physicist, and a lottery winner go into a bar…no, wait…head to space to launch a satellite near Titan, one of Saturn’s moons. Sure, there’s a minor incident, but otherwise their two-year round trip is nominal. But when they return home, Earth feels different. Want to discover how? Dive into this story to find out.

Marketed initially as a television series, this fast-paced, character-driven science fiction thriller will be a crowd-pleaser! Light on the science and heavy on action and emotion, this approachable sci-fi has broad appeal. Friends who read and enjoyed Hart’s ASSASSINS ANONYMOUS (2024) will recognize his touch as co-writer here. The two authors’ collaboration produced characters you care about, clever dialogue, fast action, conspiracy, a touch of humor, and a storyline that keeps you coming back for more. Think PROJECT HAIL MARY with more characters and less science, with a dash of Blake Crouch’s mind-bending parallel universe theory.

My only gripe? It ends on a cliffhanger. Like, an honest-to-God “To Be Continued.” Write fast, gentlemen. I look forward to seeing what happens next and finding out if my theories are correct.

I read this as an audiobook, and you should see how clean my house is! I was making up chores to get back to Max Meyers’ animated and nuanced performance.

P/S - OMG, that cover. GORGEOUS.

QOTD: What do you think? Will you give this sci-fi a chance?